Football: Bolts fall to rival Vineland on Thanksgiving

Vineland took home the Daily Journal Victory Cup for the second year in a row after taking down rival Millville 28-18 at John Barbose Stadium on Thursday, November 23.
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Millville wide receiver Bruce Williams (6) works up field against Vineland at John Barbose Stadium on Thursday, November 23.(Photo: Justin Odendhal/Staff Photo)Buy Photo

MILLVILLE - The annual Thanksgiving Day rivalry football game between Millville and Vineland high schools featured plenty of the good, the bad and the ugly.

Unfortunately for the host Thunderbolts, there weren't enough positives on Thursday.

Millville fell behind early and couldn't quite climb out of the hole it dug, falling to Vineland, 28-18, before a standing-room-only crowd gathered at Wheaton Field to witness the 146th meeting of the two programs.

It was the Bolts' second straight loss to Vineland, which now owns a 65-62-19 edge in the all-time series. With the loss, Millville also squandered a chance to claim the West Jersey Football League Continental Division title outright.

Instead, the Bolts, Vineland and St. Augustine all finish with a share of that crown.

"It's very tough," Millville senior two-way lineman Dylan Washington said after the game. "We left a lot out on the field, could have been a lot better. It's hard, but at the end of the day we lost and we own up to it. We know that we made many mistakes and can't blame anybody but ourselves."

It was an uphill battle all day for the Bolts, who found themselves down 21-6 at halftime thanks to a relentless Vineland rushing attack spearheaded by quarterback Isaih Pacheco and running back Nihym Anderson.

That duo combined for over 200 yards on the ground through two quarters as each player went over the century mark.

The 15-point deficit put Millville's resolve to the test.

"We didn't doubt at all that we could come back and win," Bolts' senior linebacker Jermer Downing said. "There was just a tiny bit of negative energy, but after halftime we just immediately erased that and came out and played Millville football like we always do."

The Bolts (9-2) were able to slow Vineland's offense after the break while watching their own attack come alive.

Millville running back Clayton Scott scored on a 7-yard touchdown run with 3 minutes, 11 seconds left in the third quarter. On the Bolts' next possession, quarterback E.J. Nichols hit wide receiver Marical Ramos on a 33-yard touchdown pass on a 4th-and-5 play.

All of a sudden, Millville trailed just 21-18 with 9:59 to play in the game.

The Bolts' first score came in the first quarter with the team trailing 6-0. Quarterback Tristan Harris found Nichols in stride for a 63-yard touchdown pass to even the game 6-6.

"Had to climb out of a hole, and they did a good job cutting the lead down, but turnovers cost us in the end," Bolts coach Dennis Thomas said of his team.

Ramos would halt a long Vineland (8-2) drive with an interception of Pacheco the series after Millville was able to pull within three points, but the Bolts gave the ball right back on a fumble when they were driving with a chance to take the lead.

Pacheco eventually cashed the turnover in for a 1-yard touchdown run and 28-18 Fighting Clan lead with just 3:17 left in regulation.

A Millville firefighter keeps an eye on a fire as Millville High School holds a pep rally Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017 in Millville. Millville football plays Vineland Thursday in an historic rivalry game.
Joe Lamberti/Staff Photographer

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"We were moving the ball, you know, and it was a tale of two halves," Thomas said. "But we shot ourselves in the foot."

The rivalry took an ugly turn late in the game when a scuffle on the Millville sideline evolved into a brawl between the two teams. Five players were ejected — three from Millville and two from Vineland.

Police officers and dogs were needed to help restore order.

"In that situation, it's a rivalrly, tensions are flaring," Thomas said. "The good thing is that everyone left safe."

Thursday certainly was not the end to the season Millville was looking for.

The Bolts on Nov. 17 fell to Rancocas Valley, 15-14, in the South Jersey Group 5 semifinals. Beating Vineland was a chance to finish the year on a positive note.

"Vineland is a good team, they truly are," Washington said. "We gave it our all and that's all we can really say about the outcome."